Vehicle.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS B. TRUSLOW, OF THOMASTON, NEW YORK.

VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 705,722, dated July 29,1902.

Application tiled March 18 1902. Serial No. 98,810. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Louis B. TRUsLoW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Thomaston, in the county of Nassau and State of' New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicles, Vof which the following isa specification.

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to vehicles intended to be drawn by a horse or other animal, and more particularly to a type of such vehicles wherein only two wheels are employed. It is Well known that in such type of vehicle the body is usually supported on springs or like yielding devices secured to the vehicle-axle in ord er to absorb the sudden shocks due to irregularities in the road-bed, and in such form of vehicleY it is likewise necessary to provide some support for the vehicle body on each side of the springs referred to in order to effectually guard against undue tipping of the body due to an unequal distribution of load.

It is the object of my invention to provide devices on either side of the Amain supportingsprings to secure the effects above mentioned and at the same time to adapt the vehicle to the horse motion in such manner that the vibrations will be absorbed to a great extent. It is evident that the best results can be `secured only when the vehicle-body issupported in substantially the same position relative to the horse, Whether the horse be large orlsmall, and I have therefore so constructed the supports for the vehicle-body`on each side of the main springs that they contribute in maintaining the vehicle-body in proper position to the horse and serve to thereby absorb the horse motion, Whether the horse be large or small, and I have secured the shafts tothe body only by the supportsforthe body at either side of the main springs, all as will be fully disclosed, and deiinitely pointed out in the claims. u.

In the drawings, Figure l is View of the under side or bottom of a vehicle embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the front support for the vehicle-body and `by which said body is connected tothe shafts, and Fig. 3 is a detail View of the rear or back support for the vehicle-body.

In the drawings, A represents the vehiclebody, which may be 'of any desired form or construction, mounted on an axle B, carrying` the usual wheels C C, the main springs E being interposed between the axle B and the bottom of the vehicle-bodyA. Itis evident, of course, that the form and construction of the parts thus far enumerated and described may be asldesired, the single requisite being, as far as my invention is concerned, that the vehicle-body of whatever type shall be supported by a single pair of wheels, as C C.

The shafts D D are not connected to the vehicle-body except by the front ,and back supports, the weight of the vehicle-,body being mainly taken upon the main springs E E on the axle B. Secured to the front sill of the body A is the front support F, which I have formed as a cross-spring- This spring is connected at its center to the sills ofthe body by appropriate bolts and nuts, as ff, from which point the said front support or spring F Ahas an easy drop to the point directly under the body-sill near the sides of the body, at which point, as atff?, it takes a quarterbend at right" angles and upward at'the same time, ending in the part f3 parallel With the sides of the body A and substantially on a Vlevel with a point in the center of the spring.

The ends of the spring are provided with suitable holes, as f4, by which to receive bolts f5 in order to secure the ends of the springdirectly to the shafts D. At a point rearward of the ends of the springs I preferably provide a clamp f6, by the adjustment of which alongthe shaft and the end of the spring the,l tension or elasticityof the spring in its support of the front portion of the vehicle-body maybe varied.`

p It Will be noticed that the front connection or springF has Vnot only the yielding action in a vertical plane, due to the upanddown elastic quality of the spring, but likewise a torsional action, due to its right-angular turn f2, whereby the forWard-and-backward mogated socket g close at its sides and ends and the sides thereof being provided with apertures g', by which to receive the bolt or like fastening device g2, said bolt g2 being designed to pass through like perforations in the ends of the shafts D, whereby to connect the shafts with the bracket G. Projecting from its side the bracket has the two arms g3, arranged at an angle to each other, preferably ninety degrees, and provided with perforations g4, whereby the angular arms are secured to the bottom of the vehicle-body, as shown in Fig. l, by bolts or like securing devices'g.

It will be noticed that the bracket G is provided with a series of holes g', and these are designed for the purpose of enabling the ends o'f the shafts to be adjusted according to the size of the horse being used. For instance, if the vehicle is to be drawn by a large horse the ends of the shafts in the bracket G would be adj usted to the lower holes in the bracket, so that the part of the shafts next the horse would be correspondingly raised, and it will be evident also that the bracket G has the slotted portion g closed atits ends, so that should the oolt g2 break at any time the end of the shaft would be caught by the closed end of the bracket and prevent any serious accident.

From the construction thus described it will be noted that the shafts are connected to the vehicle-body only at two points-one in rear of the main springs E by'the bracket G, the result of which is that the horse motion which would be transmitted to the vehiclebody if the shafts were connected thereto di.

rectly or were even connected to the axle B is to a large extent eliminated, and by the combined action of the front and rear connections F and G. The front connection or spring F has not only the vertical yielding action usually present in a spring, but also a torsional action, due to the turning of the spring at right angles at the point f2, and by reason of the fact that the spring or front connection F directly connects the vehicle-body A to the shafts it will be seen that the horse motion transmitted through the spring or front connection F will be materially, if not entirely, eliminated, and likewise by the turning portion f2 the forward-and-backward vibration, due to the horse motion, is to a large extent eliminated. It will be seen also that that any motion transmitted will be less than if such connection were closer to the spring F or in the proximity of the axle B, and, furthermore, by the rear connection by the bolt g2 between the vehicle-body and ends of the shaft and the front connection of the shafts to the said body by the yielding torsional springs F the various vibrations to which the vehicle-body is subjected will be largely dilninished, if not entirely eliminated. The adjustment of the bolts g2 and of the clamps f6 renders it possible to secure a nicely-balanced condition between the two connections of the shafts with the vehicle-bod y under any ordinary size of horse in use, all as vwill be clearly understood.

Having thus described my invent-ion, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a vehicle of the class described, the combination of a vehicle-body, a single supporting-axlefor said body, a pair of shafts, supporting devices for the vehicle-body disposed one in front and one in rear of the vehicle-body directly connecting the shafts and vehicle-body and constituting the sole connection of the shafts with the vehicle, the supporting devices in front of the vehiclebody comprising a transverse spring having an u pward.-bowed central portion, the ends of the spring being carried to the line of the 'shafts and turned at substantially right angles to the transverse spring and lengthwise of the shafts and secured directly thereto, the supporting devices at the rear of the vehiclebody comprising a bracket having an adjustable connection with ends of the shafts.

2. In a vehicle of the class described, the combination of a vehicle-body, a single sup'- porting-axle for said body, a pair of shafts, supporting devices for the vehicle-body disposed one in front and one in rear of the vehicle-bod y directly connecting the shafts and vehicle-body and constituting the sole connection of the shafts with the vehicle, the supporting devices in front of the vehiclebody comprising a transverse spring having an upward-bowed central portion, the ends of the spring being carried to the line of the shafts and turned at substantiallyright angles to the transverse spring and lengthwise of the shafts and secured directly thereto, the supporting devices at the rear of the vehiclebody comprising corner-irons having a closed socket-piece to receive the ends of the shafts.

LOUIS B. TRUSLOW. In presence of'- G. SMITH STANTON, JOHN B. GILLIAR.

IOO 

